Community Support Adviser

A dementia diagnosis can bring lots of questions and uncertainty, both for the person diagnosed and the people close to them. Having someone who takes the time to listen, understands what matters and helps people find the right information and support can make a real difference.

As a Community Support Adviser, you will be there for people affected by dementia across Dudley while being part of our wider Black Country team. You will listen to what is important to them, help them understand their options and connect them with information, services and support that can help.

This is a varied, community focused role. You might spend your day visiting someone in their home, attending a local group or meeting, connecting with other services and professionals, or completing case notes and administration from home. Once you are settled into the role, you can expect your time to be split roughly 50/50 between working in the community and working from home, depending on the needs of the people you support.

Being able to travel independently and reliably is important. Most of your work will take place in Dudley, but you will occasionally need to travel elsewhere across the Black Country. This includes monthly face to face team meetings, which may take place in locations such as Wolverhampton or Birmingham. Mileage is covered within the Black Country in line with our arrangements.

Your experience might come from care or health, nursing, counselling, training, customer service, community work or another people focused role. You may also have developed relevant skills through your own lived experience. You do not need to be a dementia specialist. Some knowledge of dementia would be helpful, but this can be developed. What matters is having the confidence and interpersonal skills to connect with people and provide support they can rely on.

There will be plenty to learn. You will develop your knowledge of dementia, the local area and the support available, while learning the systems you will use to manage your work and keep accurate records. You do not need to arrive knowing every answer. Being curious, willing to learn and able to follow things through will be important.

You could be a great fit for this role if you:

• Listen carefully and communicate clearly, sensitively and confidently.
• Can build positive relationships and help people feel comfortable opening up about what matters to them.
• Understand that people have different circumstances and can adapt your approach when working with diverse communities, including communities experiencing deprivation.
• Bring strong transferable skills from a customer facing or people focused role or experience.
• Are comfortable using IT systems, keeping accurate records and learning new systems.
• Can manage your own work independently while also contributing positively as part of a team.
• Are comfortable working out in the community, including visiting people in their own homes and attending groups and meetings.
• Can travel reliably across Dudley and, when needed, the wider Black Country.

You will be joining a supportive team of eight people while also being part of the wider Black Country service. You will have the independence to manage your own work, alongside opportunities to come together with colleagues for team meetings, events and wider activities.

We are not looking for one particular professional background or specialism. We are looking for someone who is confident with people, dependable and able to build trust. Someone who is comfortable saying when they do not know something, but who will take responsibility for finding out and getting back to the person they are supporting.

Above all, we are looking for someone who cares about making a difference to local people affected by dementia. You will have the opportunity to make an impact through your individual work while also contributing to the wider dementia community across the Black Country.

You do not need to tick every box or have done this exact role before. If you recognise your skills in what we have described and share our commitment to supporting people affected by dementia, we would love to hear from you.

The role is 21 hours per week across three days. Wednesday is a required working day, as this is when the whole team comes together, and Friday working is preferred. This is flexible with working hours generally falling between 9am and 5pm.

Interviews are provisionally planned for the w/c 30^th November.

This role is known internally as Dementia Adviser.

Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.

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